Why Does the AC Take So Long to Cool Down the House?

When it’s hot outside, you trust your cooling to keep things comfortable inside. But is your air conditioner taking a long time to cool down the house? This is typical on sweltering days, which strain your cooling harder than normal. However, if it’s not particularly hot outside and your AC is still struggling, your cooling equipment may have a problem. Follow these tips to help you resolve the issue.

Dirty Air Filter

A clogged filter is the most common reason an air conditioning system needs more time to cool down the house. The job of a filter is to catch airborne pollutants that could harm sensitive HVAC equipment. More effective filters even capture very small airborne allergens to increase indoor air quality.

As time passes, the filter becomes stuffed with dust, pet hair, and textile fibers, reducing airflow. Besides making your AC unit take more time to cool down the house, this problem can also result in larger energy bills, additional wear and tear, and overheating.

Solution: Check your air filter each month and change it if it seems dirty. Don’t wait longer than three months to replace the filter or follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you’re unsure where an air filter can be found, check with an HVAC technician at your next service visit.

Improper Thermostat Settings

Your thermostat must be compatible with your cooling to run correctly. Then, you must set it correctly to sustain a nice temperature. Installing a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat produces the best results.

Solution: If you want to update your thermostat, want help learning about programmable settings, or don’t feel comfortable programming a thermostat by yourself, get in touch with an HVAC technician at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for support.

Dirty Evaporator Coil

Split-system air conditioners possess an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit includes the evaporator coil, which soaks up heat from the air with the refrigerant. It’s hard for the refrigerant to soak up heat effectively if the evaporator coil is filthy, making it take longer to cool your house.

Solution: Call our HVAC professionals to clean and tune up your air conditioner. An element of this visit involves removing debris and grime from the evaporator coil to boost cooling efficiency.

Dirty or Obstructed Outdoor Unit

The cooling cycle will require moving hot refrigerant to the outdoor unit, where it ventilates heat away from your home. Unfortunately, if the outdoor unit is dirty or covered with encroaching plants, the cooling cycle may be less successful.

Solution: Gently hose off the outdoor unit to get rid of dust, cobwebs, pine needles and grass clippings. Then, prune back bushes to around 12 inches from the unit to increase airflow.

Refrigerant Leak

Refrigerant is the secret to air conditioning. Normally, this substance travels in a closed loop between the indoor and outdoor units. If a leak forms and your AC loses refrigerant, it becomes more difficult to handle the cycle of absorbing and expelling heat from your home.

Solution: Only a licensed technician can repair refrigerant leaks and replenish the system. If you think you’re dealing with this problem, get in touch with our HVAC pros for help straight away.

Leaky Ductwork

Air ducts are the arteries and veins of your HVAC system. A leak in either the return or supply side might make your air conditioner perform harder and longer to keep your home cool.

Solution: If you experience inconsistent temperatures and an excessive amount of dust in the house, contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to take a look at your ventilation. Duct sealing or replacement can take care of the problem.

Dirty or Blocked Air Vents

Conditioned air can only circulate through your home if the air vents are open and clear. Closing too many vents can even throw off the system’s balance, leading to increased breakdowns and repair costs.

Solution: Check the vents in every room, seeing to it that they’re open and unblocked by furniture, carpeting or window treatments.

Old or Poorly Sized Air Conditioner

Did you set up your air conditioning more than 10 to 15 years ago? As time passes, the system becomes less effective and might be unable to maintain a comfortable home. Additionally, have you recently completed a home extension or made other alterations? This could result in an undersized air conditioner that can’t keep up with demand.

Solution: The only option for an aging or undersized air conditioner is to exchange it. Trust our licensed HVAC technicians to size and install your new unit for comfort and efficiency.

Schedule AC Repair with Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

If your troubleshooting still proves ineffective, feel free to call in the HVAC specialists at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We deliver fast, reliable services to get your HVAC system back up and running right away. You can count on the fact that our technicians adhere to the highest standards of support to ensure your long-term peace of mind. Contact us to arrange air conditioning repair or other HVAC services today.